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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wake — a trail
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. current — happening now
  10. tube — the underground
  11. root — the cause
  12. current — electric
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. tube — a container
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. current — of water
  23. root — of a word
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com